When most people think of Caterpillar machines, they likely associate them with construction or building or maybe even mining. The word “rescue” typically doesn’t come to mind. But in July of 2021, that’s exactly what a fleet of Cat^® equipment in Central China was used for.

Heavy rains had been falling for days, pelting Henan Province. The record-breaking rainfall caused a dam on the Wei River to give way, putting multiple cities and villages — and millions of people — in danger of catastrophic flooding.

The dam breach had to be blocked quickly, but with the deluge of rain continuing, the effort would prove to be a challenging one. China Anneng Construction Group called on Lei Shing Hong Machinery (LSHM) and Caterpillar customer Zhao Shugang to help close the breach and rescue cities from imminent peril.

On July 22, the team rode in like the calvary, volunteering their Cat^® fleet to play a crucial role in constraining the rising waters.

"When we arrived at the scene, the rescue team that arrived first had filled the breach with several trucks of rocks,” recalled Zhao Shugang. “But, because the water flow was too heavy, the breach could not be blocked.”

Unable to drive large equipment into the narrow dam, LHSM decided to bring in two Cat^® 320 and three 336GC excavators from its fleet because their size, power and flexibility made them ideal for the job.

For more than two days, operators tirelessly braved pounding rains to close the 40-meter breach, using the machines to build a blockade and prevent flood waters from washing away the homes and businesses in the river’s new path.

“The excavators had not been turned off since they were turned on. It takes time to restart. No one could predict what would happen during this time. So, when we were tired, we replaced people, and kept going,” recalled Shugang.

To avoid losing precious time, LSHM provided crucial fuel to other emergency equipment at the site, and the built-in USB interface of the Cat^® excavators served as an important source of power supply for communication devices.

On July 24, an emergency power pontoon bridge arrived to transport machinery and equipment to the right bank of the breach, which had been continuously collapsing, but a path had to be made to pave a way for the pontoon bridge. Shugang sprang into action, using a Cat^® 320 to fill the river with rocks and set up a temporary wharf for the bridge.

Through numerous blockade collapses and challenges, the team persevered through July 26 when the breach was successfully blocked. Afterward, Shugang and his team continued the mission of widening, heightening and strengthening the blockade to ensure its safety and effectiveness.

LSHM Dealer Principal Lawrence Poh, who was at the site during the rescue to cheer on the team and help streamline collaboration, praised not only LSHM’s heroic efforts, but also the Cat^® equipment that made it all possible.

“The performance and reliability of Cat^® machines and LSHM’s remarkable dedication have been well recognized in this mission,” Poh said. “The combination of Cat^® equipment and our team coming to the aid of our local communities is what makes me extremely proud to work for this company.”

The rescue effort was just one example of how Caterpillar is willing to defy the odds and do whatever it takes to build a better world.